building a family
by Emerald princess3
Summary: After the events of Black Butler 2. Hannah tries to build a family for her boys but all is not exactly peaceful. There is a break within the home that must be fixed.
1. Chapter 1

Hannah smiled as she watched Alois and Luka play, so much had changed in such a small amount of time. Although Claude had arrived with them, he was rarely seen, Hannah attempted to get him to join in their family but he would simply walk away.

Hannah didn't mind in the slightest as long as her boys were happy, that was all that mattered now.

"Alois, Luka, please join me over here, it's just about lunch time." She called. She tried to keep things as close to the way they had been as possible.

Alois no longer required her to refer to him as 'your highness. He did however insist on keeping the name. "much better than Jim" He had told her. As the boys reached her, each of them threw their arms around her. She returned their hugs smiling.

"Well then, come along inside, we can come back out a little later."

"Hannah, your the best!" Luka said grabbing tightly onto her hand.

"Thank you, that's very sweet." She led them into their house and to the table. After the boys were seated, Hannah began to serve the meal.

"Claude, will you be joining us this time?" She called into the shadows.

"No. Each time you ask me that you get the same answer. It will forever be no."

"The least you could do is show a little-"

"It's okay Hannah, I don't think I want him here. Everyone who matters to me is right here beside me." Alois said smiling.

"Luka leaned over in his chair to share a hug with his brother.

"I've missed you so, your highness, you're the greatest brother ever" Alois frowned slightly.

"How can you say that, after everything, this only happened because I had to open my mouth and-"

"I just wanted you to be happy. You are aren't you Brother?"

"Yes, of course I am. It's only that it was my fault you formed the contract in the first place and if-"

"You can't blame yourself, I did it because you're the best big brother ever" Alois held the younger boy tight.

"I love you Luka. Nothing will ever keep us apart again."

"How every touching." Claude called from the shadows.

"No one was asking you to speak."

"Funny 'your highness' this coming from a boy who used to be so"

"Enough!" Hannah shouted, the room fell silent. Hannah seated herself at the table and sighed.

"I don't like him. He hurt my big brother" Luka glared in the direction in which the voice had come from.

"Don't provoke him Luka."

"Yes, for once the eldest one says something intelligent. You don't want me to come out there would you, it won't be a good thing, small one." Hannah opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by a furious Alois.

"You will not speak to him that way, and you certainly will not touch him. Not ever."

"No, Alois, he won't. I won't allow it, please, calm down and have something to eat. Claude will not say another word." The meal passed by in silence.

"Why don't the two of you go play upstairs until I've finished cleaning the table, then we can all do something together." Alois took his brother by the hand and led him out of the room, turning back at the door.

"Everything was wonderful Hannah, thank you."

"I never got any 'thank you' " Claude said.

"didn't you, well I'm sorry if you felt that way. Thank you Claude, for breaking my heart then-"

"This has to stop. Claude, can't you admit even now, after all is said and done that you were wrong?" Hannah asked.

"It's true, I was wrong, it was after all not Ciel Phantomhive's soul as his butler pointed out and perhaps I was a little harsh with him."

"A little, only a little... you killed me Claude. I loved you and that's what I get for it. All I wanted was for you to love me too. Instead I was killed, that is not a little harsh. That is out right-" tears formed in the boy's eyes. Claude stared at the boy as he wiped the tears away.

The demon had never had such a feeling as he did in that moment. Alois had cried many times and yet, somehow, this felt different. Claude sighed stepping into view.

"I'm going out" He said dimply not bothering to look back.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he whispered to himself as he walked down the path leading away from the house. He had no clear destination in mind.

"He's done this before and suddenly, just suddenly it begins to affect me. Damn him. This whole 'Family" idea of Hannah's is absolutely without a doubt one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard.

Demons are not meant to form families, especially not with whiny frankly insane people who demand to be called 'your highness' as if they are something special when in fact they are nothing.

Insignificant little...things that are terribly fragile, vulnerable."

Claude walked for what seemed like miles, his mind searching for a solution to his problem. There was no real scape from this place, not now.

He was to spend an eternity with these people. Still, there had been times that the boy 's needs caused him to feel as if he did indeed have purpose and was not wandering aimlessly through time. 

"Claude, I'm scared, the lights are out" The demon shook the thought out of his head, in that moment he pitied the child. What life had he known to be that frightened of a bit of darkness, why was it that He always ran to Claude when things went wrong, there were after all others residing in the estate.

"We are companions, I will never leave your side" Claude growled in frustration.

"Stupid boy."

"look at me the way you did that night, like I'm all you care about" Claude stopped and looked around, he was standing in a field, suddenly he felt unsure of what it was he had been doing. A cyan butterfly flew in front of him landing softly on his shoulder.

Ever so gently he removed it and held it in his hand.

"A butterfly caught in a spider's web, how... familiar." The butterfly flapped its wings softly but did not abandon the demon, who watched it with curiosity.

A small smile formed on his face as he reached out his other hand to touch the insect. He gasped as it suddenly lifted itself and hovered in front of him before departing. He felt as though he must follow it as he did, he found that he was surrounded by bluebells as far as his eyes could see.

It must have been some sort of trick that Hannah had set up. Claude sat down in the grass.

"What sort of demon am I, feeling this way at all?" He began to feel strange and slowly his eyes began to close and he knew nothing more.

A/N: I don't own Black Butler. Thank you for stopping by to check it out. No flames please.


	2. Chapter 2

It was already dark by the time Claude returned, in his hand he held a bouquet of bluebells. He stopped at the door

"I've completely lost my mind." He opened the door to find an eerie silence in the darkened house. He looked around for some clue as to what was going on.

After a careful search of the downstairs and finding not so much as a note, he walked upstairs.

"Hannah... Luka?" He called out searching the youngest boy's room but finding it empty.

"Alois, wh-" He was alone. He sighed and wandered back down the stairs. He seated himself in an arm chair and waited. In the silence he had nothing to detract him from the thoughts and memories that once again flooded his mind. He closed his eyes resigned to his punishment.

"You're all I have left, you must never leave me Claude, not you."The look in the boy's pleading eyes gave the demon mixed feeling. In the end, disappointment over came him.

"You're my highness Claude, Never leave me." The boy's image lying on the ground flashed before him.

"I should not have these feelings, I did what needed to be done. What I believed to be the right course of action, after all, to confess love for a thing like me-" Had he actually cared for the child?

"Nonsense, absolute nonsense."He said setting the flowers down on the small table beside him.

"What a thing to say to a butler, after all, it's not- no, it would seem I've spent far too much time around Hannah. Damn the lot of them. No. damn my heart, for it has learned to feel. To ache."

"Look at me Claude, like I'm all you care about" The voice played over in his mind.

"What kind of butler am I, I couldn't even do that for my Master"

"Come boys, it is late, off to sleep with you. I'll be p shortly to say goodnight." Hannah said gently as she opened the door ushering the boys inside. Claude stood up quickly.

"Your highness, a moment of your time please?" he requested, Alois noticed a change in his tone. It was softer, almost sad. Alois suddenly became angry.

"No. I've nothing to say to you." He started toward the stairs.

"Luka, go on up and get ready, I will follow you shortly." Hannah said placing her hands on the older boy's shoulders and giving them a comforting squeeze.

"I understand how you feel, after all I've-"

"No you don't. How could you, you don't know how to feel. You've never had your heart broken, never felt alone, you don't know what I feel, don't try to pretend you know what it's like, you never will."

He began to leave only to be called back, he hesitated only a moment before continuing with Hannah to join his brother.

"Bravo Claude, you've done it again" The demon sighed. He decided that he was going to have his say before the night was through, in hopes of ridding his mind of these memories.

He found Alois getting ready to climb into bed.

"Crawl back into the shadows Claude, that's where you belong."

"All I ask if for a moment of your time to talk."

"You don't deserve it. You don't get it. The only reason you're still here is because Hannah thinks we should all stick together. I trust Hannah...I once trusted you."

"I know. You're right, I didn't know how to feel. I didn't know what it felt like to hurt as you did. I couldn't have hoped to understand."

"I said go away" Claude realized the boy has crying again. Claude moved forward only for the boy to step back. The demon sighed.

"I loved you once Claude, I needed you. You betrayed me. I have to move on now. I can't let you hurt me anymore." He sniffled. Claude looked away feeling the strange sensation again, he knelt down in front of Alois.

"Your Highness I_

"No,I don't want to hear it. Just go. Go back into the shadows and leave me alone." He sobbed.

"I just want to-"

"Why won't you care?"Alois shouted suddenly before covering his mouth with his hand and climbing into bed. Claude shifted on his legs silently.

"That's what you needed all this time." He said quietly.

"What?" Alois sat back up looking at him.

" 'why won't you care' that's what you just said to me. That's what you've always said to me in some small way. You needed someone to care. I didn't listen then, but I am now. Alois, what I did to you was terrible. I didn't understand love, caring or any such human emotion.

I was nothing more than a hungry spider waiting for a helpless butterfly to become ensnared in my web. All I cared about was food. A demon lives for a very long time. We grow bored, sometimes we tire of our own existence. When I met you, that is what I felt.

You managed to give me something, make things just a little more... interesting. I was needed and I wasn't sure how to handle it exactly.

Why won't I care, here's your answer, I do. I can't say I love you the way you wanted me to, but I do care. I understand now and I am truly sorry for what I've done. " Claude felt something wet on his face. He placed a gloved hand on his cheek and sighed. He turned his head from the boy.

"If you'll have me, I wish to remain by your side for eternity and each day I will try my hardest to make it up to you. I know it will take time and trust building, but I believe it is worth a try. Should I fail you I shall retreat into the shadows never to return. I-" a small hand found it's way under his chin forcing him to look into the boy's eyes.

Alois gently wiped away the demons tears. Claude sat amazed at the boys actions.

"I believe you Claude, finally, I believe you. It must be strange for you, to shed tears like this. I've never seen you do it."

"Typically demons don't cry. You are a special case all together Alois, you and Luka have accomplished something that is damn near impossible, You taught demons how to love." Alois smiled sadly.

"I f-forgive you Claude. If you'd like to stay and be our family, then You're welcome to but things need to change."

"I agree Your Highness, they do indeed."

"Alois, call me Alois, Hannah does. Starting tomorrow, we'll start over, leave the past behind us."

Claude felt a rush of gratitude to Alois.

"That's very generous Alois, thank you." Alois bent forward and gave Claude a hug. He felt warmth and a touch of happiness that he had never felt before. He raise his arms to return the hug but felt Alois jump at his touch and pull away.

"I'm terribly sorry, I know the reason for it, I don't at all blame you."

"Let's take things one step at a time. For a while, if I hug you, keep your arms to your side. We'll work up to it." Claude nodded.

"Of course. I'll-"

"Alois, is everything alright in here?" Hannah asked appearing in the doorway, glaring at Claude.

"Everything's fine. Claude was just saying goodnight." Hannah walked over to Alois and nudged him back into bed.

"Well then, you should be getting off to sleep, Luka's been a sleep now for a while" She pulled the covers over the boy and leaned in to hug him. Claude stood up and without another word made his way downstairs.

He was soon joined by Hannah.

"Claude, I want you to know that you did a wonderful thing tonight. I must confess, I was listening to what you were telling him. -"

"You were eavesdropping?"

"In light of certain events, I had to be sure he was safe, you do understand that I have to look out for my boys don't you?"

"In deed I do. You are doing a fantastic job with them Hannah. Thank you for teaching me that I was so wrong. I have a feeling that things will be better from now on."

"I believe they will be. I am afraid though, that I cannot take the credit for your learning about love. It seems that it was already in your heart, you just needed the right person to awaken it." Hannah smiled and walked down the hall to her room leaving Claude alone. He suddenly remembered the bluebells and rushed to get them in a vase.

He crept quietly back to Alois's room taking note that the boy was asleep he sat the vase down and returned to the door, "Good night Alois." He said before vanishing once more into the darkness.

A/N: that's it everyone, hope you enjoyed it. As always no flames please and thank you for reading and hopefully reviewing.


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